{"id":9354,"date":"2026-04-15T16:58:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T12:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=9354"},"modified":"2026-04-15T17:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T13:01:12","slug":"message-from-ceo-of-merck-foundation-senator-rasha-kelej-on-marking-world-cancer-day-by-providing-140-oncology-scholarship-to-doctors-from-28-african-countries-since-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=9354","title":{"rendered":"Message from CEO of Merck Foundation Senator, Rasha Kelej, on marking World Cancer Day by providing 140 Oncology Scholarship to doctors from 28 African countries since 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Merck-Foundation-Chairman-and-CEO-with-The-First-Ladies-of-Africa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9355\" style=\"width:1026px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Merck-Foundation-Chairman-and-CEO-with-The-First-Ladies-of-Africa.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Merck-Foundation-Chairman-and-CEO-with-The-First-Ladies-of-Africa-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure><p><strong><em>Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp together with the African First Ladies.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><p>Like every year,&nbsp;<strong>Merck Foundation,<\/strong>&nbsp;the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, marks&nbsp;<strong>\u2018World Cancer Day 2024\u2019<\/strong>&nbsp;themed&nbsp;<strong>\u2018Close the care gap\u2019&nbsp;<\/strong>together with Africa\u2019s First Ladies and Ministries of Health through their Cancer Access Program to build quality and equitable cancer care capacity in Africa with the aim to increase the limited number of Oncologists and develop the first multidisciplinary cancer care teams across the continent.&nbsp;We mark&nbsp;<strong>World Cancer Day<\/strong>&nbsp;together with&nbsp;<strong>Africa\u2019s First Ladies<\/strong>, not just on a specific day, but every day and every year through transforming and advancing cancer care in Africa by enhancing professional capacity and improving&nbsp;access to high-quality and equitable cancer care throughout the continent. I am proud to share that Merck Foundation together with African First Ladies is successfully increasing the limited number of Oncologists in Africa by providing&nbsp;<strong>140 scholarships<\/strong>&nbsp;to young African doctors from<strong>&nbsp;28 countries.<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9356\" style=\"width:1026px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-11.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-11-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-11-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-11-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-11-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-11-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure><p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em><strong>Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation with Merck Foundation Alumni.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><p>Merck Foundation in total provided more than&nbsp;<strong>1700 scholarships<\/strong>&nbsp;to doctors from over&nbsp;<strong>50 countries in 42 critical and underserved medical specialti<\/strong>es. In some of these countries, there was not even a single Oncologist, therefore, we are proud hat we are making history in Africa through training the first Oncologists and First Cancer Care teams in many countries such as; T<em><strong>he Gambia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Central African Republic, Chad, and Niger.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/em>Merck Foundation is committed to leading Africa to a better future through transforming the landscape of Cancer care in the continent.<\/p><p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Watch testimonials videos of Merck Foundation Oncology Fellowship Alumni:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"*Merck Foundation Alumni, meet the future oncologist of Africa-Oncology Fellowship\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HyfhRYVWgao?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>We are making history together by providing these important scholarships for the first oncologists and \/or the first cancer care teams in many countries across Africa.<\/p><p><strong>Kind Regards,<br>Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej,<br>CEO of Merck Foundation.<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"742\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merk-Foundation-First-Ladies-Initiative-Committee-Meeting-2-1024x742.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merk-Foundation-First-Ladies-Initiative-Committee-Meeting-2-1024x742.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merk-Foundation-First-Ladies-Initiative-Committee-Meeting-2-300x217.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merk-Foundation-First-Ladies-Initiative-Committee-Meeting-2-768x556.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merk-Foundation-First-Ladies-Initiative-Committee-Meeting-2-1536x1113.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merk-Foundation-First-Ladies-Initiative-Committee-Meeting-2-600x435.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merk-Foundation-First-Ladies-Initiative-Committee-Meeting-2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-2-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9358\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-2-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-2-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/World-Cancer-Day-RK-Poster-Eng-2.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1008\" height=\"1008\" 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